Royal Bahamas Defence Force officials this week apprehended 18 Cuban migrants in the southern Bahamas, officials said.

According to a RBDF statement, officials made the arrest on Wednesday morning in the area of the Cay Sal Bank, which is just southeast of Key West, Florida.

“While on routine patrol HMBS L.L Smith, under the command of Acting Lieutenant Commander Stephen Rolle, conducted a search of the Anguilla Cay at 9:00 a.m. [Wednesday] morning. Results of the search found the Cuban nationals – 16 males, two females on the southern tip of the cay. They were taken aboard the Defence Force craft,” the statement said.

“The Cuban nationals will be handed over the Bahamas Immigration authorities for further processing. This makes a total of 28 Cuban migrants apprehended by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force within a week. On Friday past, 10 Cuban migrants were also apprehended in a sloop off Anguilla Cay.”

In recent weeks, officials apprehended a number of sloops with Cubans onboard.

In the month of September alone, over 60 Cubans have been intercepted in Bahamian waters.